Author: Stephearth
Rating: R, Sexual situations, Adult situations
Category: Romance, Angst (J/MP)
Archiving: Do Not Archive without Permission
Timeline: Post-"Donateresa"
Spoilers: "Donteresa"
Summary: Miss Parker visits Jarod during his stay at
the Centre and things develop that may have fatal consequences.

Author's Notes: This story is based on the wonderful Picture
Challenge by Emily to the fan fiction list: Pretendfic at
egroups......Enjoy!!! Oh and forgive the attachment but I had
to include the picture with it!! *evil gr in*

Dedication: Well this one has to be dedicated to Emily,
for creating such an inspiring picture and challenge.
But I'd like to
also dedicate this one to the wonderful and very kind authors and fans of the
Pretendfic list! You guys are simply wonderful!!!

Disclaimer: The characters portrayed in this fan fiction
belong to NBC and any other copyright holders.
No infringement is intended.

Jarod paced back and forth through the small SIM lab. He absently tugged at the collar of his smock, the traditional apparel of the Centre's pretenders. He hated this place, these clothes, this room. Jarod had given up so much, risked so much, and look where he was. Still at the Centre, a month had passed since he'd been capt ured on the small airstrip, a month after heed helped save Miss Parker's life. At least he could tell himself that his dad and clone were safe. Out of the reach of the Centre for now. But the price for their safety? Was it t to high?

He'd agreed do the SIMs again only under strict conditions that he got to see Miss Parker when she recovered and that none of the SIMs endangered innocent lives. The Centre had been surprisingly compliant with his demands. They had granted him the few demands he'd made in exchange for his cooperat ion but he had not excepted Miss Parker's reaction to them. She had refused to come down to the SIM labs or even to his room. Parker had been released over a week ago according to Sydney, but she had yet to come and see him. Sydney had assured him that she knew of the agreement, it was simply up to her now. His plans had hinged on her.

Once she came down, once he had talked to her, made her see how he felt, then and only then would he leave. Jarod had planned his escape, down to the second, but he would not leave until she came to see him. No matter what happened, no matter what they said to each other, whether he got threw to her or not. He wanted his freedom and he had played their game long enough, much too long.

Jarod was upset, no angry was more the word for it. I haven't asked for much, he thought as he paced the room, and I certainly except to be granted a simple meeting with her. Jarod stopped, in the middle of the room, dead in his tracks, as he heard the door to the lab open.

Sydney had left him in this lab an hour ago and promised that she would be here. Jarod looked up to the darkened corner of the lab where the only door cracked open. The small silhouette that stood framed in the doorway revealed the unmistakable curves of a woman. As Jarod stared at the figure in the doorway, searching for the blazing blue eyes of Miss Parker, he caught a scent, on the small breeze that entered the room from the door's motion. It was her. He'd know that perfume anywhere; a mix of flowers, musk, and the stagnant odor of the Centre halls. She spent far to many hours here, he decided in an instant. Jarod wanted to change that, to free her of this place.

The tense silence was broken as Miss Parker took a slow step forward into the lab, the heels of her shoes making a distinctive click on the concrete floors. The loud clung of the heavy metal door shutting behind her caused her to jump slightly. Jarod could feel her tension, his too was increasing as she slowly neared him. Jarod stood motionless: he wanted her to come close, to talk to her, to breath in her scent. Jarod had even SIMed an encounter one night in his room but as she came closer to him he could not move, speak, or think. A chill ran down the pretender's back that matched the cool air of the lab. Heed missed her, that was obvious, the past four years she had always been there, in some way or another. Just a phone call away, but he hadn't see or spoken with her since he left her side that day on the airstrip.

Miss Parker took a deep breath, walked up to the gray metal doors, and nodded her head to the sweeper who guarded the door to the SIM lab that held Jarod. She'd put this off long enough. Not that she had a choice, her father, Sydney and even Broots had pressured her to comply with Jarod's request to see her. Why? was the question she had asked herself a hundred times over the last week. As the door opened before her, the room was dark, but she could see him standing there, still as a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, his form drenched in the light of the over head lamp. Miss Parker steeled herself, squaring her shoulders. Suppressed a slight groan of pain that the motion caused her, taking a step forward into the darkened SIM lab. She hated these rooms, too many bad memories in the bowls of the Centre.

Slowly she moved forward and with every step Parker could feel the tension mounting. As Miss Parker moved across the room she passed through a series of light and dark patches. The knot that had formed in her stomach since she arrived on this level tighten as she came close to him. She had been his huntress for so long and now where were they?

Parker was no longer the hunter of the Centre's prized pretender, yet she was no longer his friend either. She'd seen to ending any kind friendship they'd once had long ago and now she was uncertain as to why of all the Centre's employees had Jarod requested, no demanded, to see her as a condition to cooperation. Even if he had some information to give her or some other crumb for her to follow he must know that his every move was monitored inside these walls, every word he uttered since returning was on some DSA somewhere. She had watched a few of Jarod's sessions with Sydney the past week herself, mostly just curiosity, but she had wanted to see how the Pretender was adjusting to life back at the Centre. Especially before coming down to see him herself. A small ache started to form in her chest along with the knot in her stomach, accompanied by a growing sense of dread. This had been a bad idea and she wanted to run.

When Parker reached about a little more then half way to Jarod's positoon in the room she stopped. Jarod still stood motionless, watching her every move, almost as if he was studying her, memorizing her movements through the chilly air of the room. His face was strained, and his eyes unreadable. This behavior unnerved her and she allowed her defenses to rise, folding her arms across her chest and waited. Let him lead the conversation, he was good at that, gauge his mood. After all she knew very well why and how he had been brought back here to the Centre. Jarod had given up his chance to get away, a chance she would have taken had the situations been reversed.

Jarod watched her, his eyes traveling up and down her body as it swayed with the motion of walking, the only part of his body still able to move. She had on a dark blue business jacket, a deep purple satin top, and a matching dark blue mini-skirt. Her legs, long and smooth glided slowly toward him as his eyes sank farther down to her lower legs, her calves arching down to the two-inch heels she wore. He'd always loved the way she dressed, the aggressive side of her demanded such an outfit and she wore it well. Her hair was a bit longer then he's remembered it being. Parker wore it down, to the left, her usual style.

As she walked closer to him she passed into the light and the small lamps highlighted her hair, shadows danced around her face as she continued to move forward. The lab was mostly dark, no SIMs were being run tonight and so only the outer and center lights were on. Just enough light to chase away the darkness but not the mystery or promise it held. Jarod suddenly realized that she had stopped her precession towards him, he hoped his appraisal of her did not show on his face. He had let his guard down for a moment and that was dangerous, especially around Miss Parker.

Jarod's face was so different she realized at once, and yet something was familiar. That look on his face, only for a moment, had caused her to stop. Almost stunning her as she recognized something there she had no idea could have ever been there. Something she'd never admitted to wanting to see there. Miss Parker felt a cold chill run up her spin as a slight fear rose in her. More then anything she wanted to run, turn around and just leave without a word passing between them. She feared what he might say, feared what he might admit to her, Jarod had never been very good at hiding his feelings around her. But she was a Parker and the idea of running away from something was more offensive then anything Jarod might say, so she stayed.

What was I going to tell her? I can't think! Jarod struggled to find something to say to her, he'd wanted to talk to her for so long. Finally settling on, "Your looking well." it was a statement but the tone was questioning.

"Yes Jarod I've recovered from the gun shot wound," the tone was harsh, probably a bit to much, but she needed it to be. She was uncomfortable with the emotions she'd seen in his eyes moments before, "I see they have you back in your cage." Parker lowered her folded arms to her sides and took a step to the left, circling him like a predator ready to pounce on its prey. "Your looking well," she said in a low, controlled tone. Ok, that was a lie, she admitted to herself, he looked terrible. His hair was short and the pale colors of the smock made his pale features look even worst. Jarod's handsome features were still there, but the Centre had seen to suppressing them, taking even more from him.

That hurt, a razor sharp jib, as always, he realized that she had probably picked up on his loss of control. It had frightened her, but at this moment he didn't really care. It frightened him.

He had planned on telling her that he felt an intense desire for her, maybe even love. He knew this was not the right place for him to deluge that kind of information but he had no choice. The emotions that had flooded his being when he had struggled to stop the bleeding at the airport a month ago grew stronger and more pervasive each day that passed. Pulling himself out of his revere he tracked her movements around him and followed. Finally able to move his limbs. "Thank you for coming to see me," a small smile began to creep up the corner of his lip.

"What do you want, Jarod?" Miss Parker continued to slowly circle him, never looking into his eyes.

"What I want, I don't thinking your willing to give. But I'll settle for a nice chat?" he began in a playful tone, trying to kept things light. Jarod looking at her, and then briefly up at the camera in the corner of the lab. He had to be subtle, both of their lives depended on it. If Mr. Parker, Raines or the Triumvirate knew the emotions that ran like a torrent through him at the proximity of Miss Parker they never would have agreed to this 'meeting.'

"Jarod I'm just here to keep the Centre's part of the deal," Parker took a deep breath. "I'm not in a position grant you any more demands." Her mind was reeling. She was not sure what she felt for Jarod. The past three years had pushed a lot of her childhood feelings for the man away, and the middle of a SIM lab was not the place to explore whatever they maybe. Parker had realized the day she woke up in the hospital bed that things were different now between them. Sydney had told her the events that took place after she blacked out from the impact of the bullet wound. Jarod had saved her life and she owed him. She didn't know what to expect from him and she was particularly happy with the idea of owing Jarod anything .

Jarod cringed at her words. Parker wasn't here of her own free will. They had forced her to come and see him, that hurt. A slight ache in Jarod's heart reminded him that she most likely did not feel anything but bitterness and contempt for him. God knows he'd given her enough reasons to hate him. Sucking in a deep breath he managed with slight bitterness, "I see. And would you have come if Daddy hadn't forced you to meet my demand?"

Parker was tired of this, the games he played. Everything with him was a game of some kind, designed to push her buttons, egg her on. She didn't want to play anymore. "Is that what you want to talk about Jarod?" Miss Parker raised her left wrist to reveal her watch, "I'm only giving you ten minutes, then I'm leaving." Looking up at him she cocked her head to the side and lifted a irritated eyebrow at him, "Use it wisely."

Part 2